


Taming Dragons

by shiningsparkle



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Pokemon Battles, Pokemon Training, Romance, Smut, for once not a slow burn, lots of smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:27:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23460193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiningsparkle/pseuds/shiningsparkle
Summary: Emilia didn’t regret her decision to agree to this. Not at all. And she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t already looking forward to their next… meeting. But still, she wondered how it all came to that. No. She knew how it came to it, she just never would’ve expected it to ever happen. She has known this man for years after all, and who expected to end up in bed with someone one has only considered a good friend for years?
Relationships: Kibana | Raihan/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everybody,
> 
> welcome to my Raihan X OC Pokémon SWSH fanfic 💙🌻 
> 
> I don’t really have a lot to say right now aside from that I hope you will enjoy the fic, and that you’ll hopefully like Emilia too 💙
> 
> Enjoy 🌹

The pale moonlight shone through the gaps between the curtains, casting its silvery glow on the dark sheets covering her bare form. It was late into the night in Hammerlocke by now, there were no more sounds audible from the streets beyond the tilted window aside from the faint breeze. And the soft breathing next to her. Emilia turned her head to the side to look at the man lying next to her. Gorgeous even in the limited light. She could make out the shape of his shoulders, his upper arm relaxed and bent over the blanket and kept it tugged beneath his shoulders.

Raihan had his back turned to her. He has fallen asleep like that and hasn’t moved since aside from his legs shifting a bit beneath the blanket. Since he had pulled away and turned onto his side there hasn’t been an exchange between them aside from “night”. He let her stay only so she didn’t have to wander around town in the dead of night all by herself.  
But Emilia got it. The moment was over. There was a distance between them that neither of them wanted to nor had any permission to cross, even though they were both still naked beneath the same sheets.

She didn’t regret her decision to agree to this. Not all. And she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t already looking forward to their next… meeting. But still, she wondered how it all came to that. No. She knew how it came to it, she just never would’ve expected it to ever happen. She has known this man for years after all, and who expected to end up in bed with someone one has only considered a good friend for years?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hammerlocke had one bar. Located in the far north of town, behind the stadium, not easy for visitors to randomly come across, so in the evening it was exclusively filled with locals. Emilia didn’t come here often, she preferred the calm atmosphere and bright lighting of a café to the darkened, crowded interior of a bar, but treating herself to a fancy drink once in a while in the evening was appealing, if not way too tempting to resist.

Emilia sipped on her cocktail as she sat at the counter and absentmindedly watched the barkeeper as he prepared drink after drink. The bright blue color of The Inteleon, as it was called here, seemingly glowed in the flashing neon lights, the slices of Grepa berry adorning the edge of the glass almost looked like gold. She wondered if her Inteleon would enjoy the taste of it or if it would be appalled by the thought of her drinking a cocktail based on her own starter Pokémon. Emilia wasn’t about to test it anytime soon.

“Now that’s a pleasant surprise.”

The music in the bar wasn’t loud, so the young woman easily noticed the all too familiar voice. Emilia looked to the side when the man approached her. She smiled up at him. Raihan always drew attention to himself wherever he went. Everyone knew who he was, everyone knew what he did for the town, and regardless of all of this, he also easily towered over everyone else with his height. And still, her honey brown eyes wandered from his bright teal eyes over his frame. Seeing him in anything but his uniform was such a rare occurrence that just a plain t-shirt and dark jeans were a sight to behold. Her heart started racing.

She was staring. Something she couldn’t remember doing before, well, at least not in such close proximity, but maybe the alcohol managed to lower her inhibitions by now. No one argued that the guy was anything but handsome and attractive. Incredibly so. He knew that people stared at him. He may just not have expected this from her. A grin appeared on his face and Emilia forced her gaze away from him. She hoped he didn’t notice the way her skin flushed. She blamed her reactions to him on the alcohol.

“Not the first time you’ve met me here,” she finally said as Raihan sat down on the stool next to her. He propped his head up on his elbow on the counter and grinned at her. She realized only then how she’s barely ever seen him without something covering his arms in all the years she’s known him. Her eyes were drawn all by themselves to the way his upper arm muscles tensed when he propped his head on his hand. Her throat turned dry.

What the hell, she thought. She wasn’t truly staring at him and getting affected by it?! Sure, it may have been a while since she’s been with someone, but come on, she wasn’t anywhere near being desperate enough to stare at a longtime friend like this. She resisted the urge to down her drink in one gulp.

“Ah true, but, still doesn’t happen often.” Raihan still grinned, his teal eyes darkened by the dimmed light but still glistening with something playful. Emilia wasn’t sure she was catching onto if he was going anywhere with this. The corners of her mouth twitched and she shrugged as she took another sip of her drink. Raihan ordered himself a beer and when the beverage was placed in front of him he turned his attention back to her.

“So, what have you been up to? Haven’t seen you around in a few days,” Raihan asked. He took a sip, but his eyes were still locked on her. Was he always looking at her this intently or was she missing something? But then again, not like she wasn’t staring.

“Training. Have been mostly in the Wild Area the last few days.”

Raihan grinned again. “Ready for the gym challenge then? It’s only two months away after all.”

“Almost,” Emilia said. There were still a few things on her list she wanted to do and train before the gym challenge would start. This time she would leave nothing to chance. 

“I guess, I have to pay the Wild Area a visit myself then if I wanna meet up with you.”

Emilia laughed, but the glance that flashed through his eyes made her avert her gaze from him. Something was either off or she was thinking too much and at this point she didn’t know which option it was. Raihan didn’t say anything for a moment, which was odd enough for him, and it caused her to look at him again after a moment. He was looking ahead at the shelves of bottles behind the barkeeper as he raised the glass to his lips again, granting her a look at his profile. He was gorgeous. All sharp, defined features, dark complexion, it seemed as if the flashing lights only enhanced how attractive he truly was. Emilia watched as his lips made contact with the glass, as his adam’s apple bobbed up and down when he drank. She swallowed.

And when his teal colored eyes switched to her and noticed her staring she found it hard to avert her gaze. And when she did it was too sudden. Heat rising in her cheeks, blood rushing in her ears. She stared at the glass in her hand and yet only saw his face and neck in front of her eyes. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth without realizing it, without realizing how Raihan’s eyes were still fixated on her, watching her every move. Something was off. And she should get a grip of herself. She wasn’t a horny teenager anymore. And she knew this guy. They were friends. But she could neither fight nor deny her racing heart or the thoughts that started to claw at the back of her mind. What would it be like to have him look at her like that in a different setting? To have his body beneath hers? Emilia felt her body burning up. She was in trouble. 

What would he do or say if he knew about what she was thinking of? Would he be put off? Grossed out? Would he like it? Emilia was well aware Raihan was no stranger to casual sex. But with someone he knew? True, they weren’t best friends but not just mere acquaintances either.

Emilia almost jumped on her bar stool when a hand appeared in her peripheral vision and carefully reached for one of the strands of hair that hang in her face. She didn’t dare to move, only turned her head the slightest bit to see what was happening. But she couldn’t help that her lips parted when she saw how Raihan’s hands cupped the long strand of dark purple hair and held it into the light with a look of awe and mesmerization in his eyes. Emilia found it hard to breathe. And her breath full out hitched in her throat when he leaned just a bit closer to look at her hair closer. There was something about this gesture. Something that felt far too… tense. In a very specific way.

She knew what he was staring at. It wasn’t her hair color, purple was as natural as any other color, but in this lighting, in these flashing lights, the deep rich color almost looked like it was glistening. She knew it and she liked the effect certain lighting had on her hair. But him inspecting this occurrence like this. Leaning in closer, his fingers gently cradling her hair… something was off tonight. And Emilia got the feeling that she wasn’t on her own with this.

Raihan inspected her hair before he carefully lowered his hand and instead of letting the strand fall back in place he tugged it behind her ear, the tips of his fingers grazed her ear in the process of doing so. Her stomach flipped, her ribcage threatened to burst with the heat he caused inside of her. He had such warm fingers… If this continued Emilia feared what may happen.

The gym leader pulled his hand back and for a moment he just stared at her, brows slightly furrowed, lost in thought, not saying anything. Everything about this was unusual. He was way too silent, way too touchy, not to mention how his phone hasn’t been anywhere in sight since he approached her here. What was going on?! 

And then he moved. He leaned in closer to her. Close enough for their arms to brush against each other, close enough for her to get lost in the depths of those teal colored eyes. She didn’t dare to say anything, she just stared back, honey colored eyes wide and blinking. Until he finally started talking again, voice quieter and lower than before.

“I’m sorry. I think I’ve been a bit besides myself tonight.”

“Oh yeah?”

“And I may be about to overstep any possible line there is.” His eyes sought out hers.

“How come?” she struggled to breathe.

“Do you,” his gaze switched to her lips before he looked into her eyes again, “wanna come home with me tonight?”

Her mind was reeling and she fought with her own mind to force the words out, but more than a half-whispered “you mean to...?” didn’t leave her lips. Raihan nodded. His eyes shone with nothing but determination.

“Nothing more. Nothing that can be associated with this. Just sex.”

She was silent for a moment, as if her mind and body didn’t already make the decision for her and was still contemplating his words. She was no total stranger to casual sex herself, and doing it with someone she at least trusted seemed much more appealing than going home with a random person. And this was Raihan! Friends or not saying he was anything but hot and damn gorgeous was a hopeless endeavour. Not to mention that thoughts of him in more… inappropriate ways have been nagging her since he sat down next to her.

“I get if you don’t wanna, and I’m not gonna push you. I’ve been thinking about suggesting this to you for a while now, but barely saw you around. I don’t want more than that, but I think having sex is still nicer if you at least know the person, you get me? But-” 

“Okay.” It was a breathless word but loud enough that it stopped Raihan’s rambling. The gym leader blinked at Emilia, he needed a moment to process her answer and what it actually implied. When he did though a grin spread out on his face, though this time there was something almost cocky about it. 

“Fuck yes!”

Literally, Emilia thought. But as they paid for their drinks and left the bar almost in a hurry Emilia’s mind was caught in a daze, incapable of grasping that this was truly about to happen. But she also couldn’t deny how her mind and body were yearning for this man.

The way to Raihan’s place passed her by in a blur, and her mind only fully came to realize and grasp what was happening when the door to his home fell shut behind them. Her mind only remained in reality for a moment however, because his lips were on hers within an instant. It was hot and urgent, his mouth was moving against hers with a passion and intent that wiped her mind entirely blank. Her arms went around his neck instantly, a moan left her lips as his tongue entered her mouth to engage her own in a tongue.

Their hands were all over each other, it was nothing but a fierce and passionate play of their hands, lips and tongues to raise the pressure, to increase the heat and just to get more of each other. Raihan’s hands traveled down her body, leaving behind a hot trail of fire and goosebumps alike before they hooked around her thighs. She got the hint and wrapped her legs around his waist in an instant, when he turned to carry her to his presumably bedroom. Emilia’s lips left his only to latch onto his neck, his following groan sent shivers down her spine. 

And when they finally reached his bedroom and he placed her on the mattress Emilia didn’t care about anything else but letting her body and mind indulge in what they’ve been thinking about all evening.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Emilia looked at the sleeping gym leader next to her again. A part of her wanted to reach out to wake him up and see if he was up for more, but at this point she wasn’t sure if she was in a position to do so. And she did feel sleepy by now. Might as well get some sleep and indulge in it again when he offered it to her.

Distantly she wondered if tomorrow morning would be awkward. But then again. She would just get up and leave. They both made their thoughts and intentions about this very clear after all, she wasn’t really worried about it. Emilia turned onto her side, her back to his, and closed her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody,
> 
> sorry that it took me so long to get the new chapter ready ><
> 
> I hope you will like this one 💙🌼 I had a lot of fun writing it, and I have to say I love writing the dialogue between Raihan and Emilia 💙
> 
> Enjoy 💙🌼

Emilia felt good. As she sat on the high, dark walls surrounding Hammerlocke, a bag of snacks in her lap and her trusted Noivern at her side, she couldn’t help but think she felt amazing. Now, she wasn’t stupid enough to blame that on the fact that she got laid last night, but she also wasn’t going to deny that particular part didn’t contribute to her mood at all. 

Noivern made a small sound in her throat and eyed the bag in Emilia’s lap. Her yellow eyes glistened playfully like she would totally snatch the bag from Emilia and claim all the snacks for herself(she wouldn’t, but she liked to make Emilia believe that she was a very mischievous creature when… she was anything but). Emilia smiled and reached up to scratch the area just below Noivern’s huge ears and shook her head when the usually so violent Pokémon leaned into it like a domesticated Liepard. Noivern happily chewed down the snack Emilia offered to her afterwards.

A group of little kids passed them by, laughing and playing as they ran through the streets of Hammerlocke, only stopping to throw a look of awe at the proud and powerful Pokémon at Emilia’s side. The young woman waved and smiled when her partner turned to the kids and propped herself up to let out her signature sound. The kids exclaimed a bunch of “woah” and “so cool” before running off again. 

Emilia closed the bag of snacks again and stored it in her bag before hopping off the wall. She stretched for a moment, adjusted her black leather jacket and turned to her partner.

“Ready for some stamina training?”

Noivern screeched, stretching her wide wings in agreement.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Emilia panted, braced her hands on her bent knees as she tried to get as much needed oxygen into her body as possible while calming down her racing heart. Her palms were sweaty, strands of purple hair that escaped her ponytail stuck to her face and her green top clung to her frame like a 2nd skin. This kind of training was no joke, but she absolutely refused to let her Pokémon train while she just stood by and watched how they worked hard.

But that was enough for a day. There was no point in exaggerating and risking getting her partners hurt. 

“I think we leave it at that,” she said, voice a tad breathless. Her three partners stopped in their movements and turned to her. Noivern and Haxorus were exhausted, they were breathing heavily and Noivern seemed to land and relax on the ground gratefully. Inteleon was not any less exhausted than the other two, she knew as much after spending so many years with him, but it was way too proud to admit how tired he truly was.

Haxorus was the first to come up to her. The dragon-type Pokémon exclaimed a few sounds, which brought a smile onto Emilia’s lips.

“You were amazing today, yes! You’ve gotten so much faster over time too!” she patted the huge Pokémon and when an expression of pure delight appeared on its face Emilia’s chest filled with warmth. Despite Haxorus’s sassy nature she craved praises and attention by Emilia more than her other two partners and Emilia would never get tired of showering her team in praises. They’ve worked so hard and they stuck with her despite all the hardships and downfalls they’ve faced since she took the gym challenge for the first time over three years ago.

The Rotom phone in Emilia’s sport rucksack started buzzing and the young woman pulled her previously discarded jacket away from the blue-orange bag to let the phone fly out of it. The phone buzzed and the text message she got was opened with a tap.

“ _Hey! How about you come over here? I think I could use some company._ ” 

Emilia’s heart started racing, for an entirely different reason than before. When she left Raihan’s place early in the morning they didn’t really talk about how or if this would go on. Raihan had just said that he would see her around as he had already done before last night. But the prospect of repeating last night… images flashed in front of her eyes. Those teal eyes staring her down, his huge hands exploring and caressing, lips and tongue creating sensations unfathomable, the heat, the passion, the desire… she could already feel the heat blossoming in her chest. 

Agreeing to this has definitely been her best decision in a long time. 

Still, Emilia refused to just jump whenever he wanted, if that was what their situation would be like from now on, despite the spark of excitement growing inside of her. Some teasing never hurt anyone. She texted Raihan back.

“You think? Sounds like you’re good enough without me. I’m kinda busy right now.”

His reply was almost instant. “ _Nooo. Don’t be like that. Please come over?_ ”

Emilia thought for a moment. “You have two options: I come over right away but I use your shower first. Or I go home, take a shower and come over later.” 

Raihan’s next message took a moment longer. “ _My shower._ ”

“Needy, aren’t we?!”

“ _Only for my favorite dragon-type trainer. Aside from myself of course._ ” The winking emoji he sent made her roll her eyes but the smile on her lips betrayed her. She was glad he couldn’t see it. She tried to remain nonchalant about it in her reply.

“Well, you still gotta practice some patience because I’m gonna get some food on the way.”

“ _Fiiine. I’ll wait._ ” And another winking emoji. He really didn’t even try to hide that he was horny. Emilia shook her head and put the phone away before she turned to her Pokémon who stared at her, curious but patiently waiting for her. The young woman reached for their Poké Balls.

“Get a good long rest, you guys were great today,” Emilia said as she called her team back before she stored the balls on her belt loosely hanging around her hips. She shouldered her bag and grabbed her jacket and laid it over her arm instead of putting it back on, and started walking back to the town of Hammerlocke. She couldn’t wait for that shower. But first, she really needed something to eat.

She reached Raihan’s place quite a while later(hey, it wasn’t her fault. The café was crowded, it took her a while to get her favorite sandwich). She rubbed her hands together to get rid of the last remaining crumbs before she brushed some strands of her purple hair out of her face. She was anything but appealing right now, that’s what happened after training in the Wild Area for hours, but Raihan asked for it, so he should probably be prepared.

When Raihan, wearing his usual attire, opened the door she was met with a grin and teal eyes glistening full of glee. Truth be told, it lightened up his features so much that for a moment this huge, fierce gym leader seemed like nothing more than a gentle giant. 

“You sure took your sweet time.” Raihan grinned before he moved forwards. To either hug or kiss her Emilia didn’t know, but she stopped him with a raised finger in front of his face. He blinked at her, visibly confused.

“Stay away. I was serious about that shower. I smell worse than a Stunky,” she warned him. She really needed that shower. By herself too. Or else she wouldn’t find it in her to relax and let herself go, no matter how inviting and tempting he was.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have called you over after all.”

“Oh, I can leave again, I don’t mind.” Emilia shrugged. She surely didn’t want to leave. And he probably knew that too, but two could play that game after all.

“No, no, no. My shower is fine. Down the hallway.” Raihan pointed behind him as he stepped aside to let her in. “Eh, use whatever you need. Towels are all clean and all,” he added as he followed her until they reached the living room, where he took a turn to let himself fall onto his couch.

“Thank you,” Emilia said. She didn’t spend a moment to take in his home properly as she strolled through the corridor of Raihan’s home. She just went straight ahead to his bathroom and locked the door behind her. That’s when she did take a look around as she has only been in here last night for the toilet, but she was half asleep and it was mostly dark too, so she didn’t really notice or remember anything of this room. It was small but still rather well utilized for that limited space. But how much stuff the guy had… every shelf was full with bottles and boxes for hair care and skin care stuff. Emilia wondered if he even had more than her(and she loved to indulge in such stuff, especially skin care).

She undressed and as she stepped into the shower and the warm water hit her back and ran down her skin she sighed. She needed that after that training session. Emilia felt her muscles increasingly relax the longer the water flowed down her body. She wondered if Raihan would’ve joined her if she hadn’t locked the door. The bathroom was small but the shower was more than spacious enough for the both of them. Would he stand behind or in front of her? Would he wrap his arms around her and press her close like last night? Would he place his hands on her hips to guide her movements as he did before? Would his lips find hers or would he whisper into her ear again? Unconsciously, Emilia pressed her thighs together.

_Dammit_ , she thought. She has spent one night, a single night, with the gym leader and this was what happened to her as soon as her thoughts started drifting. She blamed it on the fact that she was using his shower right now and that alone was more than she’s ever done at his place. She hasn’t even been at his place before last night!

She turned off the water after she was done and stepped out of the shower. She dried herself off with one of Raihan’s blue towels before she used his hair dryer to dry her hair at least a little bit. Still slightly wet she kept her hair open instead of tying it again like before, the dark purple strands flowing in slight waves over her shoulders. When she finally was done Emilia thought about what she should wear now, however. She had a spare outfit in her bag after all, or if she should just walk out in a towel because they both knew what would happen once she walked out of this room. Emilia looked up in thought. 

That’s when her gaze fell onto the bathrobe hanging on a hook at the door. The fluffy navy blue material felt nice on her still warmed skin. It was bit too big. She assumed it probably reached until Raihan’s mid-thighs, so it covered her almost entirely. And it would do the trick most likely. She would spent him company alright. She tied the knot of the robe in front of her and reached for her bag.

Emilia barely caught a glimpse of Raihan’s Flygon when she stepped out of the bathroom and placed her bag and jacket at the wall next to the door, before the gym leader called it back into its Poké Ball. But she did very clearly notice how his eyes widened and how he sat upright on the couch way too quickly. She smiled to herself.

Emilia slowly entered the living room, her bare feet making soft, barely audible sounds on the floor, and she couldn’t help but let her gaze wander around the room as subtly as she could since Raihan was anything but subtle staring at her. It amused her immensely that he hasn’t said a single word yet. He sat there on his couch, in his shorts and jacket, and watched how she stepped into the room. The room was kind of a mess. The blanket on the couch laid halfway on the floor, some pillows were completely on the ground, the armrest of the couch definitely suffered from a dragon’s claw before. And there was so much clutter. Pokémon items, balls, papers, boxes… 

Though she couldn’t help the curiosity bubbling up inside of her when her honey-colored eyes were drawn to the floor cupboard on the wall. She approached it without thinking twice, ignored the way Raihan tilted his head and watched her in confusion. The cupboard stretched along the wall of his living room, but the piece of furniture wasn’t what caught her attention so much. No, it was the photos on top of it. His love for taking selfies was well known, but Emilia hasn’t been aware that he printed some - or a lot - of those selfies and photos and put them in frames. 

There were a few selfies of Raihan in the stadium, a few of him and his team, but also a lot of him and other people. She spotted the champion, Leon, spotted other gym leaders, but what finally made her reach out and take the frame into her hand was a photo of the battlefield in Motostoke’s stadium. Most of the picture was filled by Raihan’s face but she saw a bunch of people wearing the Galar League’s uniforms in the background. Including a very familiar face with, back then shorter, dark purple hair.

“That day was so exciting,” she said as her mind brought her back to the opening ceremony of the gym challenge. That feeling of walking on to the pitch, all these people cheering and being excited, seeing all the gym leaders… the moment was amazing. And she wished she could’ve experienced it again for the Champion Cup. If only she hadn’t failed before getting that chance. If only her journey hadn’t come to an end in Spikemuth…

Raihan stepped up behind her, close enough that his jacket brushed the fabric of the bathrobe she was wearing. 

“It’s awesome, isn’t it?! The rush of adrenaline gets you really pumped for a battle, doesn’t it?! I still remember experiencing it myself for the first time.”

Emilia knew he had a grin on his face again even though she had her back turned to him. His enthusiasm and passion for battles was as intoxicating as it was impressive. One day she would face him there herself. In the middle of Hammerlocke’s stadium, her dragons against his. One day. She wouldn’t fail again before she got that opportunity.

“It is,” she said, the photo still in hands, her honey eyes still fixated on it. There really wasn’t anything like being on the battlefield like this. 

“You’ll be there again soon. Only two more months.” This time she anything but heard the grin on his lips. Emilia shook her head, a small chuckle escaping her lips. She looked over her shoulder and up at him for a short moment before turning her attention back to the photos.

“If you endorse me that is.”

“I told you I will. We can only apply gym challengers four weeks before the start of it, so there’s still time. And you need the letter to show it to the league’s staff when we go to Motostoke,” Raihan said.

The gym leader placed his hands on her shoulders and something in the air shifted. It hasn’t been Emilia’s intention to stall or distract at all, but she was far too curious about her discovery. She placed the photo back on the cupboard as Raihan’s hands began to apply pressure on her shoulders. She breathed in long and deep through her nose as his fingers dug into her shoulders as much as it was possible for him with the fluffy fabric covering her.

“This time I’m gonna make it,” Emilia said as her eyes fell onto a selfie Raihan took with Spikemuth’s gym leader. She wouldn’t lose to him again. Though she couldn’t properly keep that train of thought going as her mind was getting distracted by Raihan’s fingers pulling the collar of the bathrobe to the side.

“Oh, I sure hope so. I want my chance to battle you too, you know?!” his voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned down, his warm breath fanning over her ear sent a shiver down her spine. She barely so suppressed the gasp from escaping her lips when he began kissing her neck. Warm, full and soft, pressing pecks and open-mouth kisses to her skin, sliding and then just lingering on a single spot. The tingling sensation that traveled down her spine was nothing but delicious and with how her thoughts had already wandered to all the things she wanted him to do to her in the shower, she really didn’t need a lot anymore to make her ready for him. She just refused to give in that fast and she’d be damned if she admitted that she thought about him before.

“Weren’t we having a conversation?” she asked and she was glad her voice was still steady.

“Hmm, not sure,” he murmured against her skin, “were we?!” he finished before pulling some of her soft skin into his mouth and sucked on it, gently, but she knew better than to take it as anything but the calm before the storm. Her body trembled, something he noticed as she felt him smirking against her neck.

“Pretty certain. I assumed you meant by ‘needing company’ that you wanted to talk, and not this.” Raihan’s smirk against the skin of her neck grew wider and she couldn’t help the spark of anticipation rising within her at the prospect of how he might react to her attitude.

“Is that why you’re wearing just my bathrobe?”

Voice a mere whisper, his words so teasing and smug, it tickled every part in her that wanted to throw a snarky comment his way, to not let him win this round, no matter how much truth there was in his words. But before her mind could come up with a reply his hands grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and within an instant his lips were on hers.

_Whatever_ , she thought and allowed her mind to shut down. Raihan’s lips on hers felt incredible. Supple and soft, hot and fervent. There was an urgency and eagerness about his kiss and the way his hands cradled her face that made her pulse flatter and her knees weak. And when his tongue slipped into her mouth Emilia didn’t suppress her moan anymore. Her arms went around his shoulders as her tongue danced with his before her own gasp made her break the kiss when he pushed her against the cupboard. 

Emilia only caught a glimpse of his half-lidded eyes and parted lips, but instead of kissing her again his face vanished from view as his lips latched onto her neck again. He was rougher than before, nibbling and sucking on the skin of her neck until she was trembling in front of him and a fire seemed to ignite her body from the inside out. Raihan’s hand reached for the knot of the bathrobe and made quick work of it. When he parted the material he pulled his head back to stare at her bare form. Her chest was heaving and she felt as if this heat traveled through her to gather deep within her lower body. She loved and hated how he could do that to her just by kissing and staring her down with a gaze so full of hunger that she felt utterly overwhelmed.

He grinned before he dived back in. His lips nipped and sucked on the skin of her neck and collarbones, his tongue left behind burning trails on her body, while his hands just traveled and groped. His hands touched her everywhere they could reach, but never remained in one place as if he couldn’t handle it, as if he didn’t know which part of her body to shower in attention first. Emilia could do nothing but let him, could only gasp and moan when his hands brushed her chest, when his lips sucked on her skin.

And then, mere instants before Emilia thought she couldn’t handle these sensations without getting some relief to the almost painful throbbing between her legs, Raihan dropped to his knees.

Her breathing hitched, her hands instinctively grabbed the edge of the cupboard digging into her lower back, as she stared him down, eyes wide and clouded by the need for him and the anticipation of what was about to happen.

His hands wrapped around her thighs, before he threw her a look of nothing but mischief, but that darkened teal color, the glance of lust and desire crossing them did not escape her either. Emilia trembled when he shamelessly stared at her lower region and she thought she might go insane from the sensations coursing through her. How did he manage to turn her into this without even touching her there yet?

Please, she thought because she wasn’t gone enough yet to actually beg him. But she didn’t need to. The gym leader licked his lips once before he leaned in.

The moan she let out was breathless and much quieter than she feared, but oh, the flash of pleasure that shot through her into every fiber of her body when his tongue licked her folds and he moaned against her skin, was nothing but incredible. Emilia’s thighs quivered in his grasp as he kissed and licked her with a fervor she only knew from him when he battled. He nipped on her folds, licked her clit, wrapped his lips around the sensitive nub and she threw her head back when he gently sucked on it.

At some point Raihan raised her leg and laid it over his shoulder, which gave him even more access and required him to twist his neck much less given his height. Emilia moaned, one hand twisted in his jacket, the other held onto the cupboard behind her for dear life. Raihan ate her out like a starving man. Every lick, every suck, every touch to her folds and clit sent wave after wave of heat and pleasure through her body, only for it all to travel low again to pull the coil deep within her tighter and tighter. 

And when his tongue slipped inside of her, when one of his hands came up to circle her clit she was lost. It took only mere moments for her until that coil finally snapped and a wave of pleasure overcame her like a Max Geyser attack. She said his name, a breathless moan of his name that spilled over her lips as her body twitched and trembled, as it shook from the intensity of the bliss and pleasure he brought upon her body.

Raihan didn’t cease his ministrations to her body. Only when Emilia slowly came down from her high, when the quivering lessened, when her body stopped spasming did he slowly pull back. She opened her honey-colored eyes and had trouble standing upright, a new wave of pleasure coursing through her as soon as she saw him there, kneeling in front of her, eyes clouded by desire, lips and chin glistening with her essence.

“Your taste is addicting.”

He relished her sharp intake of breath, she could see it written all over his face, in his smirk, in the way he licked his lips, the way his eyes glistened, but she didn’t have it in her to reply. He kissed up her body until he reached her lips, and there was something so hot and arousing to taste herself on his lips and tongue that Emilia moaned deep in her throat and felt her body heating up all over again. Raihan’s hand dived into her hair and tugged her head back, luring a groan out of her, so he could kiss down her neck again. Though there was a sense of urgency in her now as well. She wanted him. She needed him.

Emilia’s hands reached for his jacket and hastily pulled the zipper down. Her heart skipped a beat when she was met with his bare chest instead of the shirt of his uniform. 

“Patience is not really your thing, is it?!” she breathed against his ear, a smirk of her own now on her face. His chest vibrated beneath her hands when he chuckled before he pulled his head back.

“No,” his lips grazed hers, “not really.”

As soon as the words left his lips Raihan’s hands went to her ass and pulled her close until his hips met hers. Emilia gasped, which turned into a small whimper when he began grinding against her. She could feel him. Hot and straining against the thin layers that still separated him from her. If the pressure wasn’t building up once more within her it was surely now.

“Well, neither is it mine,” she almost growled and Emilia reveled in his moan as she hastily pulled his shorts down until they were both finally naked. He grinned, his hot, heavy breath fanned over her face.

“Hold on,” he told her, voice breathless. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands went to beneath her thighs.

They didn’t make it further than the couch. 

He left her laying there, trembling and burning with anticipation as he pulled a condom on and adjusted her legs to settle between them, one hanging from the couch the other resting on his shoulder. And when he finally sank into her, when she finally felt him stretch and fill her up she moaned wantonly. Raihan moaned when his hips were flush against hers, pressed his lips against her leg on his shoulder as he remained still for just a moment.

But it was the only and last moment of anything close to tenderness.

He began to move and whatever control and restraint he had before was gone in a heartbeat. He settled on a hard and fast rhythm, snapping his hips forward and back again, his hands digging into her leg and hip as he filled her up again and again, a string of groans and words that didn’t reach her dazed mind anymore spilling freely over his lips. Emilia could only hold on. Her body shook and shuddered beneath him, the pressure rising, ever building deep inside of her. She moaned and gasped, reveled in seeing him on top of her like this: brows furrowed, eyes squeezed shut, lips parted, fine beads of sweat on his skin, fingers digging into the soft flesh of her leg as he kept pounding into her.

She’s never felt so good like this. He filled her up so perfectly, her walls wrapped around him as if her body didn’t want to let him go. With each thrust he set her ablaze, made every nerve in her body scream in pleasure until she was nearing another orgasm. 

“Fuck,” Raihan moaned above her, “feels awesome. Too good, I-” he moaned, interrupting himself and whatever words wanted to escape him. Emilia barely registered the words, only his voice, sending shivers down her body which seemed to spread into every fiber of her being. His thrust began to become erratic, rapid and Emilia knew he was close. But she knew even in her foggy mind that she wasn’t far off anymore either. That coil seemed to have been pulled as taut as it could get, threatened to snap every moment. She teetered on the edge and all she needed was a push, a slight gust to throw her over it.

“OhfuckIcan’tshitshitohshitcoming…” he gasped and moaned, rambled, lost in his own pleasure as his hips jerked against hers, once, twice, before he managed to raise his hand to between her legs, and his fingers desperately looked and then rubbed her oh so sensitive bundle of nerves. 

“Joinmecumwithmeshit...”

Emilia didn’t understand his rambling but she followed him over the edge regardless as the coil finally snapped with a twist of his thumb. His strangled moans, the feel of him inside of her, his hips twitching against hers, his thumb on her clit… It became all too much and she came with a whimper on her lips. Her back arched as her body was overcome once more with wave after wave of bliss and relief. The pleasure was mind-numbing and for a moment she thought she might actually pass out from it. She trembled and shuddered beneath him, muscles spasming, chest heaving, her hands digging into the couch. It seemed to last forever. And when she finally did come down from that high she found herself unable to move for quite a while.

Raihan wasn’t faring much differently. He remained still above her, eyes closed, breathing heavily and when he finally moved and slowly pulled out of her, Emilia sighed. The gym leader pulled away from her, carefully lowered her leg back onto the couch, to go throw the used condom away. Emilia stretched her limbs with a quiet sound on her lips. The aftermath of sex was just pure bliss. A smile appeared on her face when she got a nice view on Raihan’s ass as he left the room. He surely had a fine body. 

Emilia sat up on the couch before walking over to her bag to get her spare clothes. When Raihan came back mere moments later he followed her example and got dressed again. She didn’t watch him, gave him the moment of privacy although he probably wouldn’t mind either way. The moment was over, the situation was done, no need to linger. Still, Emilia was not about to leave just yet. The young woman sat on the couch and inspected the cuts in the armrest of it. She traced the ripped fabric with her finger.

“What happened here?” she asked amused. Raihan raised his eyebrows as he followed her gaze and fingers.

“Oh, Duralodon wasn’t aware fabric isn’t the best way to train his claws.” He grinned. Emilia looked at him, but eventually she laughed. She assumed he meant that Duralodon wasn’t really training but was just a bit clumsy, but just imagining this huge Pokemon in the middle of this living room was already amusing enough.

“I should get going. It’s getting late,” Emilia said 

“You sure? Don’t you need another shower?” He winked at her.

“Yes, and it’s already waiting for me at home.”

“Aww, I wouldn’t mind you using it again.” Emilia thought about it for a moment, she truly considered it, but ultimately decided against it. She knew what would happen if she stayed and used his shower again. This time she wouldn’t lock the door. Not to mention that if she didn’t leave now she would have to stay the night again, and this was not what this was all about. They agreed on sex and continuously staying overnight… went too much into a direction Emilia didn’t want. She put her jacket back on.

“Maybe another time,” she said with a smile as she grabbed her bag and walked to the door. Raihan followed her.

“I see you around then,” Emilia said with one foot out of the house.

“I guess I call you, I might be a bit busy the next few days, not sure when exactly I’ll be free.”

“Did something come up?” she asked. She wasn’t overly familiar with his schedule, she knew he was busy, but that he didn’t have time at all seemed odd to her.

“The exhibition match against Kabu is next weekend. Gotta prepare for it.” He grinned. A look of realization appeared on her face. She read about it, but it totally slipped her mind.

“Alright then. Call me when you have time, I guess. Just don’t expect me to jump right away.”

It was his time to laugh now. “Gotcha.”

“Bye.” Emilia waved as she walked away but stopped when he called her name. She looked back at him over her shoulder.

“Will you be there?”

She smiled, but nodded. She considered throwing a snarky remark his way again but decided he’s heard enough of those for one day. And she knew how much it meant to him when the people in his town watched his battles and cheered him on. She was no exception.

“Better watch closely then, you’ll need it eventually.” She could feel his grin burning into the back of her head. She shook her head with a smile, which of course he couldn’t see.

“We’ll see,” was all she said before she walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody,
> 
> I'm finally done with the new chapter 💙🧡🌼
> 
> Smut is ahead as well, although it's only a short part of the chapter(at least compared to the last one).
> 
> I hope you like it! 💙🧡🌼

Being in the ranks of the stadium wasn’t any less exciting as being actually down there to battle. All these people jumping, throwing their arms in the air as they cheered and chanted, waiting for the battle to finally begin, Emilia felt herself being caught in the storm of excitement and adrenaline as she stood among the masses with a racing heart and eyes burning with enthusiasm. Yes, there were seats for everyone, but no one wanted to - or could - remain seated when such a battle was about to occur.  
Raihan against Kabu. After Raihan told her about it last time they met it was kinda all around her. People were talking about it in the streets, there were advertisements for it in the news and of course, Raihan was promoting it like crazy on his social media. Not to mention that he kept reminding her every time they met up.

Exhibition match or not an event like this was always highly anticipated and celebrated. Either in the stadium, the town or in people’s homes in front of their TVs.

And Emilia was incredibly grateful that Aria managed to get her a ticket for it. Only a few days before such an event tickets were hard to come by but Raihan’s gym trainers usually had access to a limited amount of it for friends and family. 

Emilia’s heartbeat spiked when the two gym leaders were announced and the crowd broke out in screams and chants as they cheered for their favorite or just exclaimed their excitement. She didn’t jump around but she cheered and clapped along as Raihan and Kabu entered the pitch. Kabu as always focused and determined, looking straight ahead as he approached the centre of the stadium, while Raihan was his usual self, smiling and waving at the people, phone in hand, taking selfies. They were so vastly different in their attitude and yet both incredibly powerful trainers.

She beat Kabu once. When she took the gym challenge three years ago. But she struggled. She struggled so much. Her team succumbed to his fire types one after another. If it hadn’t been for Inteleon she would’ve lost the gym challenge right there and then. And even Inteleon struggled, anything but collapsing after taking out Kabu’s team almost by himself. Emilia’s brows furrowed. She was better prepared this time. She would face Kabu with everything she got.

And then, one day, she would have the chance to be down there and face Raihan herself. It’s everything she ever wanted as a dragon type trainer. Face the strongest trainer of that type in Galar. It has been her entire goal since she was a young teenager. 

Emilia shook her head to get these thoughts out of her head. When her mind was back in the here and now the two gym leaders were already taking their spots on the battlefield.

And there it was. The shift in Raihan’s entire being. His eyes narrowed, the grin vanished and he widened his stance. Everything about his kind-hearted and laid-back attitude was gone within a blink of an eye. He was someone else whenever he battled. Everyone knew that and everyone was thrilled to see that side of the gym leader.

The announcer in the stadium declared that both would use three Pokémon for this exhibition match. It made Emilia curious which ones Raihan would use since his team usually consisted of either four or five Pokémon.

Both gym leaders sent out their first Pokémon simultaneously, accompanied by the crowd going wild. Emilia’s heart skipped a beat in excitement as she saw Raihan’s trusted Flygon appear in front of him, while Kabu called forth his Ninetales.

And thus the battle began.

The tension was tangible. Despite the enthusiastic announcer commenting on what was happening and the crowd rooting and cheering for their favorite Emilia found herself clenching her fists as she watched the two opponents start to battle. Raihan screamed a command at his partner, something that wasn’t audible over all the noise in the stadium, but the consequences were visible almost instantly. Flygon roared before the wind picked up and within seconds filled with sand. 

_Here we go_ , Emilia thought when the first sand grains blew through the air. As the sandstorm filled the stadium Emilia couldn’t help but think back to the countless skincare products she’s seen in his bathroom. The sandstorm wasn’t bad, but anything but comfortable and she couldn’t imagine training and battling in it all day without one’s skin to eventually suffer from it. She wasn’t sure what to do with this discovery but she decided to file it under interesting facts about the gym leader.

The battle only then seemed to start for real. And once again Emilia was reminded that Kabu was not an opponent to be taken lightly. While Ninetales was a proud and strong Pokémon, it ultimately didn’t stand a chance against Flygon. That, however, was not the same for Arcanine. Even in the raging sandstorm the beautiful and powerful Pokémon stood its ground. It could hardly see and the sand harmed it, but it still outsped Raihan’s team. And with Arcanine’s Will-O-Wisp attack landing lucky hits it managed to take down both, Flygon and Sandaconda.

However, Arcanine barely stood on its feet once the sandstorm lifted again and Raihan called forth his third and final Pokémon. 

And one Breaking Swipe attack from Raihan’s Duralodon delivered the final blow to Kabu’s Arcanine as it was incapable of keeping up the battle any longer. It created a nagging doubt in Emilia’s mind if she was actually capable of beating Kabu once more. The more she saw of that battle she started to think it was sheer luck that managed to get her the win last time. If even Raihan of all trainers struggled against Arcanine like this...

Emilia’s breath caught in her throat when Kabu called forth his Centiskorch. In that instant the tension became intense, no one was left standing in the ranks, everyone stared at these two Pokémon and their trainers, waiting and anticipating their next move. Because everyone knew what was coming.

Seeing Pokémon becoming their Gigantamax forms was such a sight and event. These creatures filled the stadium with a power no one was truly able to understand and Emilia stared at Raihan’s Duralodon in awe. What would it be like to face it in battle? Which Pokémon would she choose to Dynamax? Which would be strong enough to take it on? And, was she even capable of beating it? She hated to doubt her team and she knew they have become much stronger over the last years, but was it enough? If she just threw everything she got at Raihan would it be sufficient to beat him?

Duralodon’s roar resonated in the stadium and as if to match it the crowd started cheering. This was it. The final battle. The final showdown.

But, as intense and thrilling a battle between two Gigantamax Pokémon was as quickly it was over. 

Duralodon outsped Kabu’s Centiskorch and launched its G-Max Depletion attack. The energy that was released with the attack coursed through the stadium like an all consuming storm. It twirled around the opposing Pokémon, engulfing it, trapping it and unleashing every bit of power Duralodon could muster onto it. It was so intense and powerful that it caused the crowd to exclaim sounds of awe and fascination, some shielded their eyes from the blinding and colorful lights of the energy. Emilia’s eyes were wide as she watched the attack unfold, the intensity of it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. This was as amazing as it was scary. She wouldn’t want to be trapped in this attack nor would she want this for any of her Pokémon.

The attack barely lasted a few moments.

The energy vanished as quickly as it came, dissolved as if it was never there and for a moment the Pokémon remained quiet and unmoving. Until Centiskorch screamed and erupted in flames and explosions, incapable to keep up the Gigantamax form after that devastating attack.

It was over.

Raihan won.

And while the crowd went wild when both gym leaders called their partners back into their balls, they didn’t just cheer for Raihan’s victory but for Kabu as well. And when both shook hands afterwards the crowd seemingly got louder yet again. Nonetheless Emilia couldn’t help but grin. Her heart raced in her chest with the thrill of what she just witnessed. She hoped Raihan would win, maybe she expected it too, but she didn’t know the battle would be so intense. The Gigantamax battle was a sight to behold, but the real tension came before that. And especially Arcanine put up such an impressive fight that it created doubt in Emilia’s mind that she could defeat Kabu easily, regardless of all the training of the last three years.

_Maybe I can say hi at least_ , she thought as she followed the masses from the ranks into the interior of the stadium. Raihan should still be around, especially since there were always reporters around who wanted interviews after such an event. Maybe she would also see Aria again, so Emilia could thank her again.

Apparently she wasn’t the only one thinking that because the entrance to the stadium was filled with people. Emilia didn’t engage in any of the conversations, even if she’s seen some of the people around before, so she stuck her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket and leaned against the cool stone walls of the stadium. As the minutes passed she eventually started looking through social media on her Rotom phone when two women stood next to her as the area filled with even more people. They talked about - no, more swooned over - Raihan, which arguably wasn’t a rare occurrence to witness, so Emilia didn’t pay them any mind. That was until one of them exclaimed how she hoped they could “meet up again soon”. Emilia didn’t look up from her phone but her attention wasn’t on it.

“You think so? Wasn’t it like months ago?!” the other woman asked.

“Not even two,” she sounded disappointed, whether it was because of how her friend didn’t know or because it was more than a month, Emilia didn’t know. “and it’s not like we aren’t still talking.”

This made Emilia pause. 

“You are?” her friend asked. Out of the corner of her eye Emilia caught the woman nodding. She had her back turned to Emilia, so Emilia only caught a glimpse of of long black curls and tanned skin peeking out from the purple dress she wore.

“Not daily but occasionally. And this is how it happened last time too. Don’t know why it shouldn’t work again.”

_Because he’s…_ Emilia didn’t finish that thought because she didn’t know how. Her brows furrowed. Raihan and her were nothing. A fling at most. Something casual and unofficial, nothing more. And Emilia for sure didn’t want more. But still, the question appeared in the back of her mind whether or not they were exclusive. They didn’t talk about this part before. They just agreed on having sex, but not if only with one another or if other people were still in the picture. Emilia didn’t think about that before because she didn’t even consider someone else while she was getting it on with a guy, it didn’t matter if it was just casual or something romantic.

That, however, didn’t mean it was the same for Raihan. And it didn’t have to be. He could do what he wanted. And yet… it kinda left a bitter taste in her mouth to think about how he may be fucking other women next to her at the same time. Emilia only then noticed how tightly she was clutching her phone in her hand.

And before she could show any other reaction to the thoughts running through her head, Emilia left the stadium.

Her Inteleon joined her when she sat down on a bench near Hammerlocke’s station. Her partner stood in front of her, arms crossed in front of him as he looked at her. His demeanor seemed judgemental even though she knew it was far from it. And she couldn’t have blamed him either way. She felt stupid. For reacting like this, but even more so for even thinking about it so much. It shouldn’t bother her. Inteleon made some sounds, tried his best to comfort her, and Emilia smiled up at him in reassurance. Her Pokémon was smart, he has spent so much time with her at this point that he was aware the smile was not genuine. He didn’t make a sound in response, just stayed by her side and watched her.

Emilia wasn’t sure for how long but after a while her phone buzzed. Of course it was Raihan.

_“Where are you? I thought we could celebrate after my victory.”_

Emilia put the phone away again without replying to the text message. She wanted to, she really did. The battle was amazing and she really wouldn’t mind indulging in some… reward for him. What kept her from it in fact? Was it selfish of her to want them to be exclusive when it was just something physical to begin with? All she wanted from this was the sex, why should it bother her what he did during the time she wasn’t around?! 

Inteleon made a noise, his yellow eyes staring at her. Emilia nodded as if agreeing with her partner. She sighed. It shouldn’t matter to her what he did without her. At all. She was acting dumb and selfish if she really insisted on it. 

Emilia picked up her phone again and texted him that she was on her way. For now, some celebration was in order.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

And damn, she never thought she’d enjoy going down on him like this. But the way he moaned and cursed under his breath, with trembling thighs and twitching fingers in her hair, did things to her she never thought possible. His hips thrusted forwards, she could tell he hardly noticed but she didn’t mind one bit. She let him fill her mouth again and again, let him push his cock down her throat the way he wanted, and all she could do was to press her thighs together tighter to make the throbbing between her own legs just a bit more bearable.

“Fuck, Emilia, your- shitshitshit!”

She moaned around his cock as Raihan stumbled over his own words, muscles twitching, limbs shaking, his fingers grasping her hair tightly. She bobbed her head up and down, hollowing her cheeks, her fingers stroking what her mouth couldn’t fit. She sucked him off with abandon, desperate to make him cum in her mouth and to let her taste him on her tongue. 

“Careful, I’m… I’m gonna-”

It was all the warning she got and even though he forced himself to loosen the grip on her head to let her move away if she wanted, Emilia would have none of it. She moaned around him again, felt the pleasure rising in her own body just because of the anticipation of what was to come. She took him in as deep as she could as soon as his hips began to stutter. Curses and praises fell from Raihan’s lips when she felt the first spurt of his cum hit the back of her throat. Spurt after spurt of hot cum filled her mouth, dropped down her lips and chin when it became too much. She swallowed it all greedily, she moaned and whimpered as he kept twitching in her mouth.

And only when the last drop hit her tongue, when his cock stopped twitching and his body relaxed and slumped against the wall behind him did she slowly pull away. She breathed heavily, trembled on her knees in front of him as she picked up the remaining drops of cum from her chin and licked them from her fingers.

“Dammit, girl,” Raihan breathed, his teal eyes fixated on her while his chest heaved with his rapid breathing. Emilia smirked.

_More_ , was all that was on her mind as she kissed and touched up his body until she was on her feet again. Raihan kept watching her, a glance in his eyes that told her he was waiting for her to make a move. And oh, he would get that.

Emilia grinned at him, ignored how her own body trembled with need for him as she looked up into his eyes. Oh, she wasn’t done with him yet. 

Raihan was much taller than her but he followed her when she led and pushed him towards his bed. And when his back hit the mattress she was on top of him in an instant. She kept the smirk on her lips when she pulled her top over her head and got rid of her bra. Emilia relished his hungry gaze.

She adjusted her position on his hips a bit before she let her hands slide up and down his chest. She was aware he needed some more time before he could continue, but until then she would have her fun with him. And judging by the way Raihan reached for her hips and grinned up at her he didn’t mind it one bit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Raihan?”

“Hm?”

“Can… can I ask you something?” Emilia was looking at him while she put her shoes back on, but she wasn’t as confident about this matter as she made it seem. But since the thought creeped back up in her mind as soon as they parted again she figured it was time to just ask him.

“Sure,” Raihan said as he put his jacket back on.

“This… What we’re doing,” she paused for a moment, “are we being exclusive?”

Raihan blinked at her as if he didn’t understand her question, but then a look of realization settled on his features.

“Didn’t really think about it. I for my part am, I guess? You want something else? I guess we can talk about it.”

“No, no, no!” Emilia exclaimed quickly. Raihan’s expression was hard to read as he looked at her waiting for her answer. She really couldn’t tell what he was thinking but the glance in his eyes seemed down? Not sad, but concerned? She wasn’t sure, but it looked odd and wrong on his face. “It’s… what I’d want. I just… wasn’t sure if it was alright to ask for it,” she said then.

She felt stupid. Incredibly so. For reacting like this earlier, for even thinking about it. Still, the spark of relief brought a wave of ease with it. And she guessed that woman in the stadium had to wait quite a while longer for another chance. That thought was more satisfactory than she anticipated.

“Now that that’s out of the way,” Raihan started. That strange glance from before was completely gone and a grin appeared on his face, lightening up his features until he was his usual self again. Much better, she thought.

“What did you think about the battle?”

She pursed her lips. “Well, that I shouldn’t underestimate Kabu. I barely beat him last time.”

“He’s pretty strong, yeah. Though,” Raihan put his hands in the pockets of his jacket, “it’s more a matter of speed than raw strength. If your partner is too slow you’ll never get past his Arcanine, even if you use a water-type Pokémon.”

Emilia was silent for a moment and crossed her arms in front of her chest. That’s what she assumed after seeing how Kabu’s Arcanine took out two of Raihan’s Pokémon, though its power was also not to be underestimated. While Emilia knew she could beat him again eventually she wasn’t so sure it would be an easy and fun battle. Not right now. And she didn’t want to experience such a struggle again. She was alright with throwing all her Pokémon’s power at Kabu, but she never wanted to see how one of her partners struggle so much just to bring her the victory again.

She needed a plan. She needed more strength.

“Hey, don’t let him get you. You wanna challenge me after all, right?” 

She looked up at him and she couldn’t help but think how handsome he was like this, standing there all relaxed and at ease with that soft smile on his face. His eyes still shone with the confidence knowing he was still stronger than her, but there was a silent encouragement in them. Raihan never mocked or spoke down on someone. He believed in himself and he knew just how strong he was as a trainer but he never crossed the line that he sounded cocky. Emilia admired him for that.

And he was right. If she lost to Kabu or had so many doubts already she would never reach Raihan in the gym challenge. Not to mention that, despite how tedious it was, she did beat Kabu once already. The real challenge would be much later after the Motostoke gym.

“Right,” she finally said, “I just need more training.”

Raihan’s smile turned into a grin. “There’s still plenty of time for that.”

“And no time to lose. I’m not gonna risk that any of my team’s hard work is going to waste because I didn’t put in enough effort.” Emilia’s hand clenched the leather of her jacket. They worked so hard. If she failed it was only because of her. She wouldn’t let them down. A hand on her shoulder almost made her flinch in surprise.

“As much as I am for always pushing forwards, don’t push too hard just yet. The gym challenge takes a while, you have a lot of time and opportunity to train while taking it.” He squeezed her shoulder and Emilia exhaled slowly before a smile appeared on her lips.

“You’re right, I guess. I’ll still try my best before it starts.”

“Not gonna stop you.” He squeezed her shoulder one more time before letting go, but Emilia found the contact strangely encouraging. Whatever he was trying to do he succeeded. She felt like a new spark of determination and ambition flamed up inside of her. 

She would do what she could before the start of the challenge starting tomorrow in the Wild Area!


End file.
